~ researching the lives of Edward Maddox's descendants in America

Did Edward have a brother in Virginia?

Some genealogists claim that Edward Maddox (d. 1694) had a brother named Rice Maddox (d. 1664) in Colonial Maryland and Virginia (Rice, pronounced “reese” is probably short for Richard). So far there’s zero documentation of a link, but here are some places to start…

Rice Maddocke was called a “chirurgion” (surgeon) and Edward also was a surgeon. (Westmoreland County deed, 6 Dec 1653, in “Virginia Colonial Abstracts Vol. 23,” p. 15)

Rice lived 36 miles down the Potomac River from Edward’s land, on a 300-acre tract at the mouth of the Nomini River in Westmoreland County. (Westmoreland County Deeds and Wills No. 1, p. 182, 29 October 1662, in “Westmoreland County, Virginia, Records 1661-1664,” abstracted and compiled by John Frederick Dorman)

Rice Maddox and Samuel Maddox witnessed a 200-acre land purchase by Robert Coleman from Francis Carpenter, 22 Aug. 1659, recorded in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Rice and Samuel could have been brothers or otherwise related. It’s tempting to identify this Samuel with the Samuel Maddox (1638-1684) who lived in St. Mary’s, Maryland, around the same time; however, Samuel Maddox (1638-1684) reportedly immigrated to Maryland in approximately 1665.

Beyond that, Rice seems to have lived a complicated life, based on a few records:

Rice married Anne Dandy in 1657 or 1658. She was the widow of John Dandy – a notoriously violent man who served as a hangman in Maryland, and who was himself hung in 1657 for murder. Rice, along with Emperor Smith, both surgeons, examined the body of Dandy’s victim – and cut off his head to present it to the court. Anne was tried by the Maryland Provincial Court for embezzlement because she did not properly administer John Dandy’s estate after his death, but Anne successfully argued that harsh punishment would affect her two (unnamed) children. (AOMOL, 10:546; 2:326; 10:559; 10:443; 10:432.)

Rice Maddox was arrested for failure to pay a debt in 1663. (Westmoreland County Deeds and Wills No. 1, p. 15, 24 June 1663, in “Westmoreland County, Virginia, Records 1661-1664,” abstracted and compiled by John Frederick Dorman)

Rice was murdered in January or February 1664 under unknown circumstances. Edmund Goddard, John Fryer and William Webb were jailed for his “untimely death.” Rice’s body was dissected by the surgeon Robert Noble. (Westmoreland County Deeds and Wills No. 1, p. 24, 24 February 1663/1664, in “Westmoreland County, Virginia, Records 1661-1664,” abstracted and compiled by John Frederick Dorman)

Rice’s wife Anne was left to work through the wreckage of Rice’s estate and relied on the court’s attorneys. Rice’s wife was clearly the widow Anne Dandy in Maryland as of 1658. In Westmoreland, County, Virginia, Rice’s wife is listed as Alice on 8 October 1662, but just 21 days later she is named Anne in the same record book, and she is named Anne consistently in all other known records. (Westmoreland County Deeds and Wills No. 1, p. 181-182, 8 October and 29 October 1662, in “Westmoreland County, Virginia, Records 1661-1664,” abstracted and compiled by John Frederick Dorman)

Hi,
I am doing a bit of research on my Welsh Ancestors and I have reviewed the FamilyTree DNA data for the Maddocks Project. In particular Edward Maddox and Thomas Maddocks Llanfrynach. Your Edward came from Shropshire in the “Border Marches” between England and Wales and Thomas Maddocks came from Llanfrynach Breconshire Wales.

The close DNA match indicates that either the two had a common ancestor in Wales and I conjecture that both are descendents from Madog ap Maredudd who was the last Prince of the entire Kingdom of Powys, Wales He was buried 1160 in the church of St Tysilio at Meifod Montgomeryshire.

Thanks David… have you ever seen a proven tree or chart that shows the line from Madog to Thomas and Edward Maddox? I’d love to see one. There are a few family historians who have claimed the link from Edward to Thomas, and I’m eager to see some evidence. It took years to prove Edward was the father of Cornelius and I imagine it will take years to prove that Thomas was the father of Edward.